100142: Administering Generous Mental Health Benefits: Opinions of Employers

About the Course:

This report synthesizes the experiences of seven large employers
that offer generous mental health benefits to their employees.
Representatives of these employers shared their views and
experiences in a one-day focus group meeting.

Author

Co-authors Robinson, G., Climents, L., Bush, S., & Papay, J.

About the Authors:

This report was prepared under contract with the Center for Mental Health Services/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (CMHS/SAMHSA) by The Lewin Group. The authors are Gail K. Robinson, Ph.D., Lisa M. Chimento, M.P.P.M., Stacey Bush, and John Papay, all of The Lewin Group of Falls Church, VA. The focus group was conducted by The Lewin Group. Shelagh Smith, M.P.H., was the government project officer. We are indebted to the seven employers and their representatives who participated in this focus group. A complete list of the meeting participants and their employers is presented in Appendix A.

Course Objectives:

1. To become familiar with how some employers go about instituting mental health benefit programs

2. To examine the lessons learned by successful employers

3. To look at steps for getting more employers to offer generous mental health benefits